Notice

Annex D - Evaluation criteria

Updated 5 December 2023

This notice was withdrawn on 24 January 2024

This competition has closed.

Evaluation criteria and marking of applications 

Proposals will be assessed using the criteria and scoring scale shown below, designed to identify those proposals which offer the best value for money (VFM) overall. Assessors should complete the scoring sheet and provide a supporting narrative to justify their assessments against the following criteria: 

Criteria	Scoring criteria	Percentage Weighting %
1. Themes	Your project must focus on of the themes detailed in the specific themes list in the ‘Scope’ section of this competition. While projects may have potential impact on both the transport and logistics and financial services sectors, your project should have an identified primary target sector. Please state your chosen theme clearly within your proposal. Financial services Transport and logistics	Not Scored
2. Permits	All projects must have (if appropriate) the correct permits and licences in place to carry out your project. We are unable to fund projects who do not have the correct permits or licences in place by your project start date. You must state one option within your proposal: Yes No In process of being applied for Not applicable	Not Scored
3. Proposed idea or technology	Your project must meet the one of the themes described in the competition scope. While projects may have potential impact on both the transport and logistics and financial services sectors, your project should have an identified primary target sector. If possible, you should identify any expected spillover impacts on other sectors within your proposal. Proposals are expected to provide a description of your proposed idea or technology which includes a description of the current state of development or readiness of the idea. Proposals should demonstrate their strategic fit to the programme’s aim of fusing terrestrial data sources with satellite data and services, within the transport and logistics and/or financial services sectors. The UK Space Agency particularly welcomes applications from organisations who have not extensively used satellite data and services in their organisation before. You can submit an appendix as a PDF containing images and diagrams to support your answer. It can be no larger than 10 MB and up to 2 A4 pages long. The font must be legible at 100% zoom. High Scoring applicants will provide excellent, detailed evidence of how the proposal meets the scope section of the competition brief and have a thorough understanding of commercial satellite data and services. Proposals will demonstrate a strong understanding of their idea, how it fuses terrestrial data sources with satellite data and services, and how the project will meet the challenge and ‘unlock space for business’ in the target sector.	15%
4. Technical feasibility	Your project must address technical challenges. Your proposal will detail the main technical challenges you are addressing. Explain: how you will address the challenge what the innovation is the main technical deliverables  the research and development that will prove the scientific, environmental and commercial merit of the project what might be achieved by deploying the innovation to address the selected challenge High scoring applicants will provide a comprehensive proposal with a high probability of success, relying on evolution or deployment of existing and working technologies. Proposals will not contain weaknesses in the techniques and/or technologies to be employed but provide excellent commercial and/or scientific opportunities. Proposals will contain realistic project deliverables against the proposed timescales with strong consideration given to technical risks of the project. Proposals will include robust plans to demonstrate the performance or development of the technology/system.	25%
5. Project plan, methodology and risk management	All projects must be well planned and connected to milestones, KPIs, key activities and dates. The emphasis throughout should be on practicality. Proposals must provide evidence that the technology works, can be made into a viable product and can achieve the proposed benefits. All projects will need to demonstrate that they have an effective structure in place for managing the administration of the SBRI requested and demonstrate that they have a sound approach to planning to achieve their programme aims on time and within budget. The main risks to the project must be identified provide evidence that these have been mitigated. You must: describe resources that will be needed to deliver the project; this will include a brief description of your technical team, including any subcontractors describe how each organisation has the skills, capabilities, and experience to deliver the intended benefits, and how much of their time will be spent on the project describe what the main success criteria will be identify the project management processes that will ensure you achieve the milestones, including delivering at least one milestone by March 2024 provide a clear plan for establishing technical and commercial feasibility describe the main technical, commercial and environmental risks and what you will do to mitigate them provide a clear plan for development of a working prototype include details of how you will maintain freedom to operate and fulfil the IP requirements detailed in the contract if you are working with subcontractors You must upload a project plan or Gantt chart as an appendix in PDF format no larger than 10 MB and up to 2 A4 pages. The font must be legible at 100% zoom. Your project milestones must: be clear be defined using SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound) criteria be associated with the appropriate deliverables and payments include at least 1 milestone delivered by March 2024 indicate your payment schedule by month Please note information from the finances section will be used to support the assessment of this question. Proposed milestones and associated payments stated in this section must match those entered in the finance summary on your application failure to do so will lead to your project being excluded from consideration. High Scoring applicants will provide a detailed and workable breakdown of the proposed project milestones, KPIs, key activities and dates. The milestones will be defined using SMART criteria and be fully costed in a way that matches the financial spreadsheet requested in section 3 and be associated with appropriate deliverables. A strong team will be identified and resourced to enable the project to deliver and SBRI funding to be administered correctly. Evidence of good time management and clear and focused documentation of progress will be considered. Applicants will demonstrate an approach to risk and programme management that is aligned with industry best practice, and will detail in depth the main technical, commercial and environmental risks to the project's success. Risks to the project will be clearly identified alongside costed and detailed mitigations, providing a clear picture of the practicality and viability of the proposal.	15%
6. Value for money	All projects will need to demonstrate that they represent value for money for the taxpayer. This is demonstrated by providing appropriate budgets allocated to appropriate tasks providing significant outputs with excellent value for money. Please note information from the finances section will be used to support the assessment of this question. Proposed milestones and associated payments stated in this section must match those entered in the project plan, methodology and risk management section of your application. Failure to do so will lead to your project being excluded from consideration. High scoring applicants will: demonstrate a cost-effective proposal demonstrate the added value that the investment will bring show that the proposed resource is sufficient to deliver in the proposed timelines show that the proposed work, level of proposed effort and overall expense is fair, reasonable and will deliver a cost-effective outcome present an appropriate amount of resource allocated to work packages make good use of existing project technology, outputs and partners to maximise value for money and speed of delivery not demonstrate any financial red flags use freely available data/platforms where possible	15%
7. Commercial potentia	All projects must detail commercial potential. If you are a supplier or integrator, you must focus on your proposed customer’s needs. If you are the intended customer, you must explain how the proposed project meets your needs and route to market. All projects must detail the project's timescales, commercial potential for a marketable product, process or service, delivery plan and your expected route to market in sufficient detail to allow for evaluation to be made. Commercialisation of ideas is the key focus of this SBRI. Your proposal should describe the competitive advantage that your project has over existing or alternative technologies that meet market needs. With the focus on your proposed customer’s needs, you can also mention the future commercial potential across the public or private sector in the domestic market. The demonstration of active support and commitment of potential end customers would strengthen the application. You can submit a letter(s) of support with your application to highlight this commitment. Your proposal should make it clear how significant the competitive advantage of this technology over existing technologies that meet the market’s needs if such currently exist. It is also expected that this section details any existing commercial relationships relevant to the project. High scoring applicants will provide reliable evidence that their proposal has significant commercial potential and conveys a competitive advantage over existing technology or processes. High scoring applicants will demonstrate that this is achievable to exploit and that there is a plan to do so following the phase 1 or any potential phase 2. Applicants will demonstrate that they have focused on potential customers needs when designing their project. The potential end customer(s) will be identified and evidence will be provided to illustrate their commitment and support to the project. Proposals will explain a clear plan to deliver on the commercial potential as well as an understanding of the route to market. Proposals will seek to develop products or services which will be evidenced as meeting market needs now and in the future.	25%
8. Benefit to the UK	All projects will need to demonstrate that the investment sought from the UK government represents clear value for the UK public, through measurable benefits for the UK economy. High scoring applicants will provide excellent, detailed evidence of the benefits that the government funding would enable them to provide to the UK economy, including UK-based employment and contract opportunities. The costs of any activities proposed for funding will be very well justified and strongly linked to outcomes and benefits.	5%

Scoring Guidance 

The proposals will be scored on the scale of 1 to 10 for each criteria using the table below as a guide to the scale. The scores for each criteria will then be weighted using the percentages shown below.

Score	Assessment
0	No response is offered in respect of the criteria.
1	An incomplete or very poor response, which fails to address the criteria; and/or the response is not credible, with no evidence to support the claims made meaning there is no confidence of success; and/or the response is assessed as ‘low scoring’ against the scoring criteria shown in the table above.
2	A poor response which only partially addresses the criteria and would require significant revision to become acceptable; and/or very limited, and inadequate, evidence to support the claims made meaning low confidence of success; and/or the response is assessed as ‘low scoring’ against the scoring criteria shown in the table above.
4	A limited response with deficiencies apparent against the criteria, requiring some revision to become acceptable; and/or limited evidence provided supporting the claims made meaning limited confidence of success; and/or the response is assessed as ‘low scoring’ against the scoring criteria.
5	An acceptable response which could have been expanded upon, with identified weaknesses correctable; and/or just sufficient evidence provided in support of the claims made meaning a reasonable confidence of success; and/or the response is assessed as ‘moderate scoring’ against the scoring criteria.
7	A good response which addresses the criteria well, with identified weaknesses readily correctable; and/or solid evidence provided in support of the claims made meaning a solid level of confidence of success; and/or the response is assessed as ‘moderate scoring’ against the scoring criteria.
9	A very good response which addresses the criteria very well with very few weaknesses; and/or good evidence provided in support of the claims made meaning a high level of confidence of success; and/or the response is assessed as ‘highest scoring’ against the scoring criteria.
10	An excellent response which is considered to absolutely address the criteria without weakness; and/or compelling evidence provided in support of the claims made meaning success is considered to be virtually assured; and/or the response is assessed as ‘highest scoring’ against the scoring criteria.